UFCThe Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts organization, recognized as the largest MMA promotion in the world. The UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada and is owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC. This promotion is responsible for solidifying the sport's postion in the history-books.
UFC is currently undergoing a remarkable surge in popularity, along with greater mainstream media coverage. UFC programming can now be seen on FOX, FX, and FUEL TV in the United States, as well as in 35 other countries worldwide.

It was all about boxing for me growing up even though I trained in Martial Arts from 10 years onwards. There was never any coverage of Martial Arts on British tv so boxing was the only actual combat available other than some dodgy fake wrestling. Anyway, point is, since watching the MMA for the past 3 or 4 years I have grown extremely bored of boxing and will only watch it if there is nothing else on. I think HBO are crazy not wanting to back the sport of the future.

the mystique of boxers and "fighters" has been shattered... they're not fighters!

Fighter:a person with the will, courage, determination, ability, or disposition to fight, struggle, resist, etc. Boxing is a much tougher sport than MMA. Like Dana always likes to say, no one has ever died in mixed martial arts. Many people die every year in boxing. Getting repeatedly hit over and over again in the head and pressing on round after round takes much more heart. True, MMA is more exciting, but you'll be hard pressed to show me fights that displayed as much toughness as Gatti-Ward, Chavez-Taylor, and more but could take me all day to list them. Sure theres been wars in MMA but not to the extent that you see above that include long hospital visits and brain damage. Sure the smaller gloves mean instant knockouts when hit on the button with a clean shot, but whats tougher?, a quick knockout(any clean punch from a skilled strong figher should be a knockout even if they are fighting an oponent with an iron chin, ex. leben vs silva) or a 12 round beating (and top pro boxers hit much harder than MMAfighters)? MMA is much more exciting and the action has ruined boxing a little bit for me, but to say they are not real fighter is ludacris. Put Fedor in the ring with any top boxers from 160 and up and see if he has the heart to make it 12. Sure he would destroy them in any other situation, but guaranteed they (people that arent fighters according to you) would give him a beating.

fedor8719 you are going to take some heat for what you said, but not from me I couldn't agree more, good post .

Both are sports and thats it, you train hard and try to impose your will on the other guy, whether it be with a jab, cross combo, or a takedown and ground'n'pound. In my opinion neither are "fighters" they are athletes, because there no rules in a fight. You know what works well in a real fight, a beer bottle or a sucker punch from behind, cause in a real fight there is no one to stop it so you have to ensure the other guy is out for your own safety. Boxing, MMA, Wrestling, ect., are not fights they are sports.

Yes true they are sports, but boxing has become so boring that no one wants to watch it, the last time I could say I really enjoyed watching boxing was back when Lennox Lewis was fighting and obviously the Gatti Vs Ward trilogy...

How many boxing decisions have you gone and scratched your head? I could name a dozen with ease! The sport has become corrupt and most of all boring!

I still enjoy boxing but I also like kickboxing and M.T. fights. To me it is similar to grappling tournaments. I like standup so I enjoy boxing. I like ground fighting so I like grappling tournys. It is rare for a boxing match to get me very pumped up but occasionally it happens. MMA gets me pumped everytime I watch it. Seems to be a more complete fight and not a piece of it. I remember when Ali fights were on reg. T.V.(before cable) and it was hard to beat that kind of excitement for me but mma does it.

theres been wars in MMA but not to the extent that you see above that include long hospital visits and brain damage.

But even being a newcomer i know Tim Sylvia spent months sorting out his broken arm, and has titanium plates in it, id say thats a long hospital visit.
And "wars" are all relative, i'd have called Griffin Vs Forest a war, and many others i cant remember, just because its not a 12 round slug fest doesnt mean its not a war, boxers dont need to worry about a ground game and kicks and knee's and elbows.

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but whats tougher?, a quick knockout.....or a 12 round beating

being knocked out isnt all roses, apparently it sucks, and its not like these fighters only get one blow to the head, they get LOTS, with small gloves, and elbows, and knee's AND feet. Im not so sure being ko'd maybe after 4 rounds is better....

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Put Fedor in the ring with any top boxers from 160 and up and see if he has the heart to make it 12.

Thats silly, they are trained to use JUST their hands, and ONLY their hands. They have great skill due to the fact they ONLY train their hands. Put them in a K-1 fight and their dead, MMA their dead, ground game and their dead. Put Fedor in them and he will do well in boxing and great/excellent in the rest.

Thats silly, they are trained to use JUST their hands, and ONLY their hands. They have great skill due to the fact they ONLY train their hands. Put them in a K-1 fight and their dead, MMA their dead, ground game and their dead. Put Fedor in them and he will do well in boxing and great/excellent in the rest.

I already said that so reread my post. Also its a proven fact its tougher on the body because the ultimate injury in boxing is death by being punched in the face and body repeatedly. Theres been no such recorded injury in MMA(according to Dana). Its also different being in the hospital with a broken arm like you said, or being in the hospital with serious internal bleeding, and numerous brain conditions the least of which a concussion (not saying a MMA fighter hasn't been admitted with a brain injury before but def. not as frequently as boxers are). My post was also made in response to an idiot too. I understand there are MMA wars and have seen probably any and all you can name but the punishment is not the same so to they they are not fighter is insane.

How many boxing decisions have you gone and scratched your head? I could name a dozen with ease! The sport has become corrupt and most of all boring!

Worst part about the sport for sure is the corruption. Also the fact that fighters will not fight the toughest opponents out there because "they wouldn't get paid enough for the risk". PBF is the most obviously example of late. It sad to say but I can see MMA become as corrupt in the future.

Fighter:a person with the will, courage, determination, ability, or disposition to fight, struggle, resist, etc. Boxing is a much tougher sport than MMA. Like Dana always likes to say, no one has ever died in mixed martial arts. Many people die every year in boxing. Getting repeatedly hit over and over again in the head and pressing on round after round takes much more heart. True, MMA is more exciting, but you'll be hard pressed to show me fights that displayed as much toughness as Gatti-Ward, Chavez-Taylor, and more but could take me all day to list them. Sure theres been wars in MMA but not to the extent that you see above that include long hospital visits and brain damage. Sure the smaller gloves mean instant knockouts when hit on the button with a clean shot, but whats tougher?, a quick knockout(any clean punch from a skilled strong figher should be a knockout even if they are fighting an oponent with an iron chin, ex. leben vs silva) or a 12 round beating (and top pro boxers hit much harder than MMAfighters)? MMA is much more exciting and the action has ruined boxing a little bit for me, but to say they are not real fighter is ludacris. Put Fedor in the ring with any top boxers from 160 and up and see if he has the heart to make it 12. Sure he would destroy them in any other situation, but guaranteed they (people that arent fighters according to you) would give him a beating.

wonderful, you can use a dictionary!

now, if you want to look up "semantics", you prolly should. what i was intending, and what i'm sure others got, was that boxers are only using one, very narrow aspect of skills that are available. sure, you can say "rules rules rules" all you want, but it was designed and has been nothing more than two guys throwing hands at each other to see who can't resist the brain damage any longer... that's what a KO is. that's why boxing is dangerous, far beyond any risks in MMA. now, my "fighter" comment was intended to imply that MMA fighters are a complete version of one on one combat. it is as close to you can get to a real "fight". true, your average street fight has almost zero skill involved, but these athletes are complete students of the fighting arts. a boxer is simply a pugilist, not a complete fighter. sure, they're "fighters" but not really any more. they're not the "fighter" of yesteryear. MMA fighters are top dogs when it comes to combat sports now. boxing has wasy since passed its prime, usefulness and appeal. why see two guys with lumpy gloves hit each other in the face and watch them try to avoid brain damage, when i can watch two guys go after each other with almost limitless technique, skill and prowess?

Boxing is a subset of MMA. No doubt a pro boxer accels at that one aspect of MMA better than any current MMA fighter but the fight is so limited.
You can't look at a boxer and say he is one of the toughest guys in the world because he'd get tuned in a fight with an MMA fighter.

The whole premis of a boxer being tougher because he gets hit more and there is long term damage is silly. It just means the gloves are padded more and that is a direct result.
You could argue the cardio of a boxer could be greater, but then again it's grappling that takes energy away so quick.